Moma Liangshan

Chapter 99 Massacre outside the city, riots inside the city

To avoid the Jurchen's advance, Wang Hao and Gao Que detoured westward. In Liaoyang Prefecture, the Shu princess, her face etched with worry, tossed the seventh battle report onto her desk. A moment later, Xiao Shanbie, his face weathered, rushed in and said, "Reporting to the princess, the prisoners have spoken!" The Shu princess showed no joy, and said indifferently, "Speak!" Xiao Shanbie replied, "According to the prisoners, the Jurchen troops who launched the attack numbered about three thousand, scattered throughout the south of the city, commanded by Wanyan Zhamu." The Shu princess frowned slightly and asked, "What were their tactics?" Xiao Shanbie shook his head, saying, "The prisoners are of low status and do not know the specific tactics!" The Shu princess was furious, saying, "Although the Jurchens are elite, my two thousand guards are no ordinary men. With two thousand against six hundred, we killed nineteen enemies and captured..." "One man lost thirty-four of our own. How could I not be terrified by such a result?" Xiao Shanbie said shamefully, "Your subordinate is incompetent and deserves to die!" The Shu princess was still furious and said, "Since the Jurchen army numbered three thousand, why did you only have six hundred fighting against them? If we had faced three thousand Jurchen soldiers, wouldn't we have been completely annihilated?" Xiao Shanbie was speechless and said, "The Imperial Guards had excellent warhorses, and we were not far from the city at the time. Even if the enemy numbered three thousand, they wouldn't have dared to engage in a prolonged battle!" The Shu princess laughed in anger and said, "People say that shame breeds courage, is this how you, Xiao Shanbie, speak to me?"

Xiao Shanbie remained silent for a long time before saying, "I have done nothing wrong, so why should I feel ashamed?" The Shu princess roared, "Three thousand Jurchen soldiers have rendered the entire Liaoyang Prefecture helpless! If Wanyan Wulu's fifty thousand troops were to besiege the city again, would we still have the strength to fight?" Xiao Shanbie understood the Shu princess's feelings, suppressed his grievances, and said, "Liaoyang Prefecture's defenses are strong; it cannot be breached without several times the number of troops. And the twenty thousand able-bodied men are not old or weak; with proper training, they can become elite soldiers." The Shu princess's expression softened slightly, and she said, "Now that three thousand Jurchen soldiers are lurking outside the city, how should we deal with them?" Xiao Shanbie hesitated for a long time before saying, "The enemy is fierce and numerous. I believe we should close the city gates and remain steadfast in our defenses!" The Shu princess retorted, "Passive defense has always been the worst strategy." "A strategy!" Xiao Shanbie said urgently, "A thousand soldiers are easy to find, but a good general is hard to come by. Looking at the Jurchens' methods of warfare, they are ruthless and vicious. If we rashly send troops, the slightest mistake will surely damage the foundation of our army." The Shu princess suddenly stood up, stared at Xiao Shanbie, and said word by word, "Are you afraid?" Xiao Shanbie knelt on one knee and said loudly, "Since the day I followed the princess, I have long since disregarded life and death. If my death is beneficial to the overall situation, I will gladly die for it. But given the current situation, I can only defend Tokyo for the princess!" The Shu princess was intelligent and had only been blinded by anger. Xiao Shanbie's insistence gradually brought her to her senses. She saw the reality clearly, smiled sadly, and said, "You, Xiao Shanbie, are usually so imposing, but now you know how to act according to your abilities?" After saying that, she personally helped Xiao Shanbie up. Xiao Shanbie did not directly answer the question from the Shu princess, but said, "The situation is urgent, please give me clear instructions, Your Highness!" The Shu princess understood that Xiao Shanbie was subtly asserting his dignity, and ordered, "Close the city gates, strengthen defenses, and wait for Gao Que to return before making a decision!" Xiao Shanbie replied loudly, "Your subject obeys!" After saying that, he left the hall.

In a deserted village south of Liaoyang Prefecture, a fire blazed, roasting whole, fat sheep. Groups of soldiers sat around the fire, showing no signs of fatigue from their arduous journey. Before Wanyan Zhamu stood a broken vat, its contents boiling with broth, large chunks of meat churning and bubbling. Wanyan Zhamu stood before a sheepskin map and slowly asked, "How long has it been since there was any movement in Liaoyang?" The scout replied, "Six full days." Wanyan Zhamu then asked, "How many villages did we attack in those six days?" The scout replied, "Eight villages." Wanyan Zhamu's face hardened, and she said, "Three thousand troops have held out in the freezing cold for over half a month, only to attack a few villages and kill a few dozen men. Isn't that a huge loss?" After saying this, she looked down at the crowd below and continued, "Order the entire army to have each unit capture a hundred Liao people and bring them to the walls of Liaoyang. I'm going to unleash a massacre!" The scout's eyes gleamed with excitement, and he loudly replied, "Yes, sir!"

Three days later, south of Liaoyang, three hundred unarmed civilians were driven to the city walls by a thousand Jurchen cavalry. Wanyan Zhamu gazed at the defenders atop the walls and said to one of her generals, "Among the prisoners, there must be enemy relatives, right?" The general replied, "Liaoyang has 30,000 troops. Apart from 10,000 palace guards from Shangjing, the rest were recruited locally." Wanyan Zhamu was very satisfied and said, "The prisoners are too quiet; they won't stir the spirits of the city's defenders. Let them teach them a lesson!" The general turned and ordered a ten-man squad beside him, "Go and shoot the prisoners one by one!" The captain revealed a ruthless face and said, "Your subordinate obeys!" Ten soldiers, armed with powerful bows and sharp arrows, slowly approached the battle formation, spreading out in an arc behind the prisoner column. The captain drew his bow first, and the arrow, swift as lightning, pierced a man's head from front to back in the blink of an eye. The prisoners, who had been indifferent, instantly turned to extreme terror; shrill screams rose and fell, echoing throughout the cold winter. The other nine soldiers also fired their arrows without delay. The general beside Wanyan Zhamu said, "Ten soldiers killing three hundred men will take at least a quarter of an hour. A quarter of an hour is enough to terrify the Liao army in the city, making them feel a sense of shared fate!"

In Liaoyang City, a soldier hurriedly ran towards the princess's residence. Seeing the soldier's flustered appearance, the Shu princess asked, "Why are you in such a hurry?" The soldier quickly steadied his breathing and replied, "A Jurchen cavalry force has arrived outside the south gate, and a conflict has broken out between the palace guards and the Jianzu Battalion at the south gate!" The Shu princess was alarmed. While ordering the assembly of her personal guards, she asked, "Where is Xiao Shanbie?" The soldier replied, "Commander Xiao has already rushed to the south gate!" The Shu princess dared not delay any longer and, half a moment later, personally led five hundred personal guards to the south gate.

At the city gate, hundreds of palace guards and the Jianzu Battalion stood ready, threatening to clash at the slightest provocation. Xiao Shan's other personal guards squeezed between the two groups, creating a ten-foot distance. The Shu princess's fully armed guards arrived, their heavy footsteps silencing the crowd. As the main force gathered, the distance between the palace guards and the Jianzu Battalion widened further. The princess of Shu dismounted and approached Xiao Shanbie, asking, "The palace guards and the Jianzu Battalion have always been on good terms. Why are they like this today?" Xiao Shanbie sighed deeply and said, "Please, Your Highness, take a look from the city tower!" The princess of Shu boarded a carriage and loudly proclaimed, "Return to your posts! Forgive past transgressions, but those who remain obstinate will be killed without mercy!" As soon as the princess finished speaking, the imperial guards echoed in unison, "Return to your posts! Forgive past transgressions, but those who remain obstinate will be killed without mercy!" The shouts of the five hundred imperial guards were earth-shattering, causing all the anxious and agitated to dare not act rashly and obey the order to return. Led by Xiao Shanbie, the princess of Shu ascended the city tower. Below the city wall, she saw corpses lying haphazardly mixed with trembling prisoners, cries and screams rising and falling, a scene of utter hell.

Within the Jurchen ranks, the general, with a fawning expression, said, “Your Excellency is wise. Too few prisoners die, the scene isn’t tragic enough; too many die, and their cries aren’t loud enough. Kill a hundred, spare two hundred—it looks tragic, and it sounds even more tragic!” Wanyan Zhamu tested him, “Do you know why I made this arrangement?” The general pondered for a moment, then said, “I am foolish; please enlighten me, Your Excellency!” Wanyan Zhamu’s face revealed a cunning glint, and she said, “Fifty thousand troops besieged Liaoyang Prefecture, and the battle dragged on. Why? Because the thirty thousand troops in Liaoyang Prefecture fought together with one heart and one mind! But don’t forget, the palace guards under the Shu princess all came from the capital, while the Jianzu Battalion was recruited locally. The hundreds of prisoners we captured are but a drop in the ocean compared to the hundreds of thousands of people in Liaodong. But if used properly…” "However, this will create a rift between the Palace Guard and the Jianzu Battalion. Once the snow melts, how can we not conquer them in one fell swoop?" The general, not being foolish, suddenly understood and said, "Compared to the safety of the entire Liaoyang Prefecture, a few hundred prisoners are not worth rescuing. However, among the prisoners are likely the Jianzu Battalion's closest relatives. In this situation, the Palace Guard will only seek to hold Liaoyang Prefecture and will certainly not want to rescue them. But the Jianzu Battalion, seeing their loved ones die tragically, will be unable to control themselves and will strongly demand to leave the city to fight. When the two armies clash, a rift will inevitably form, and we can reap the benefits! Is this your plan, sir?" Wanyan Zhamu was very satisfied and said, "You have keen insight; your future achievements are limitless. From today onwards, how about becoming one of my fierce generals?" The general replied, "Wanyan Zhamu thanks you, sir. From today onwards, I will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Standing atop the city wall, the Shu princess watched as prisoners fell in twos and threes below. Her face flushed red, she cried out, "The Jurchens are brutal! They've killed my people! Xiao Shanbie, obey my orders! Lead two thousand troops out of the city to fight!" Faced with this situation, Xiao Shanbie, though filled with countless questions, dared not utter a word. He quickly mustered his two thousand men and charged out of the city gates. Of these two thousand, only the Shu princess's five hundred personal guards were cavalry; the rest were infantry. Xiao Shanbie charged ahead, swiftly routing the ten-man Jurchen squad responsible for shooting. He then reined in his horse to confront them, while the remaining infantry hurriedly carried the survivors back into the city. The Jurchen cavalry, previously fearless against two thousand Liao soldiers, advanced another twenty paces. At this moment, Wanyan Zhamu and Xiao Shanbie were within arrow range. Wanyan Zhamu, with a mocking smile, called out, "We'll meet again tomorrow at noon!" With that, she spurred her horse and rode away. Xiao Shan was filled with rage, but could only lean against the city walls and passively defend. After the Jurchen troops had gone, the two thousand Liao soldiers slowly returned to the city.

End of this chapter